Oil availability within a gap or interface defined by a piston skirt and cylinder bore wall of an internal combustion engine is desirable for the reduction of noise and frictional losses during engine operation. Near top dead center firing of the piston's expansion or power stroke, where in-cylinder pressures increase the thrust load exerted by a skirt portion of the piston against the cylinder bore wall, an increase in contact may occur between the skirt portion and the cylinder bore wall as a result of oil film penetration. Increasing the quantity of oil within the interface at top dead center may be achieved by multiple methods such as increasing the amount of oil splashed or directed to the interface by the rotating components of the engine, providing oil squirters to direct oil to the interface, and retaining an amount of oil during the up-stroke of the piston, i.e. during the movement of the piston from a bottom dead center position to the top dead center position.